In order to understand what we read, we have to read
at a speed appropriate for making meaning from the text (comprehension).
In 2nd grade reading, your child should be reading 50 to 60 words a
minute at the beginning of the school year and 90 words per minute by
the end of the year. To test this, give your child a story from her
reading book that she has not read. Have her read for one minute, and
count the number of words she reads correctly in that time. If it's
below the expected fluency levels noted above, then fluency is a
problem. Make sure she has lots of experiences reading simple books.
Repeated readings of stories she's already read in class will help. This
rereading provides the multiple exposures and decoding opportunities
she needs to develop fluency.
(from the Scholastic website)
